Page 31

Gwen

I wake on a wooden floor, cold and hurting. My head is pounding so much I can feel my heartbeat in my temple. I lift my heavy eyes to look around. Nothing looks familiar. It’s dark, and the fog outside the window blurs the view. I try to move, but my arms are stuck. They won’t budge. Then I feel the cold metal tight around my wrists. I struggle to remember what happened and how I got here. I recall laughing with Maddie as we ran out of the spa, my knuckles still stinging from meeting Lily’s face. Now, I’m lying on my side, trying to figure out where I am. But it’s no use I have no clue. This can’t be happening.

As I shift, I hear footsteps and voices. They’re distant, muffled, but growing closer. I freeze, forcing my breath to slow. The footsteps stop beside me, and two men speak. One voice is familiar, but I can’t place it. The other? I’ve heard it all my life. “This cunt is still out. Once she wakes up, she’s going to get exactly what she deserves for burning my shit with hot coffee,” the man sneers. My stomach clenches as the memory of that morning with the Uber driver resurfaces. Fuck. He’s going to make me pay for that.

“Listen, you can get your payback, but I need her in good condition so Dominic will take her for my debt,” Jamison says, his tone casual, like I’m nothing more than a transaction. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. The whole time, I was sleeping with the mafia man Jimmy wanted to screw over. Dominic was the man he offered me to. Does Dominic know? Has he known all along? Was I just a pawn in his game to get closer to Jimmy?

I keep still, my eyes shut, but the betrayal slices through me. Silent tears slip down my face as the footsteps retreat. My chest tightens, caving in on itself. I should’ve known. I was nothing but the missing piece Dominic needed to get his hands on Jamison. I cry myself back to sleep, lying on the cold floor in my once-beautiful dress, my hands cuffed together. Morning light spills into the rustic-looking cabin. My eyes flutter open, and the first thing I see is Jamison sitting on the couch, smirking down at me.

“Finally, the thief is awake,” he taunts, standing up and looming over me. He bends down, inspecting me like I’m some kind of specimen. “You look good, Gwen. Playing the part in this shitty town real well. Thought you were too good for us, huh?”

He grabs my hair, yanking me to my feet. Pain explodes across my scalp. “Ow! Let me fucking go!” I cry out, but his grip only tightens. The stench of weed clings to him as he pulls me in close. “Where’s my money, Gwen?” “I don’t have it!” I scream at him.

He throws his head back, laughing. “You were always a funny girl. You’ve got one more chance to tell me where it is before I beat that pretty face into something unrecognizable.” He moves closer, his breath hot against my skin. Before he can say anything else, I slam my forehead into his nose. A sickening crunch fills the air, and he stumbles back.

I bolt toward the door. My heart pounds, hope flaring for a split second until I’m tackled from behind. I hit the floor hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Gasping, I struggle to suck in a breath as Jamison’s nasty friend straddles my back. His hands tangle in my hair, yanking my head back painfully. “I told you I’d have my turn, whore,” he growls, leaning down to sniff my hair.

I thrash beneath him, fighting a losing battle. I hear the buckle of his belt coming undone. I scream at the top of my lungs. “NO! Get off me!” Jamison steps forward, looming above me. “Ready to tell me where my money is now?” he asks. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. Just get him off me,” I say breathlessly. He glances between me and the man straddling my back. “Get the fuck up, Jo.” The piece of shit on top of me grunts, buckling his belt back up. Once on his feet, he storms out, slamming the door behind him. “See? I always knew you weren’t that dumb. Now, we made a deal. Jo would gladly come back in here to rip you apart, and neither of us want that, do we, Gwen?”

I shake my head rapidly. No, I don’t want him back on top of me. “I hid it,” I say. Jamison’s expression darkens. “Okay, where did you hide it, Gwen?” His voice tightens with anger. “Under my mattress, in my room at my mother’s. Let me go, and I’ll bring it to you.” He chuckles, patting my face. “No, Gwen. You’re not going anywhere. And if you don’t want your family involved, or worse, hurt, you’ll do exactly as I say. Understood?” I swallow hard. “Yes.”

I have no plan yet, but I’ll come up with one. I just need time. I watch as Jamison pulls out his phone, typing a message. “Jamison, leave my brother and mother out of this. I’ll do whatever you want,” I plead. He glances up from his screen. “They ain’t the ones I need. As long as you’re telling me the truth, they’ll be fine.” Then, his attention shifts back to his phone. Jamison walks over, gripping my arm and pulling me onto the couch. My back sinks into the worn cushion, my body aching. “Thank you,” I murmur hesitantly.

He scoffs. “Don’t thank me. You stole my money and tried to get me killed. You won’t be grateful tomorrow when you’re sold into the mafia. Until then, sit here and shut up.” I do as he says, biting my tongue, searching for light in this suffocating darkness. Maybe this is it. Maybe I should just let him kill me here. Once Dominic finds out I stole his already stolen money, he’ll kill me himself. And when he realizes the kind of person I was, he won’t want me. I tried so hard to be better, to change, but none of it matters now. I couldn’t outrun my past, and now, any hope for a future is slipping away. Jo strides back into the living room, his glare slicing through me. “The money’s at her mom’s. Trash the place until you find it,” Jamison orders. “What? Why trash the place? I told you where it is!” I protest.

Jamison smirks. “You think I’m stupid enough to believe you? You’re a liar. You always will be.” I laugh bitterly. “Like you’re not? You stole someone else’s money and got high off someone else’s drugs.” Before I can finish, he lunges, slapping me hard across the face. The sharp sting burns, and the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth. I lick my busted lip, swallowing the pain.

His voice is laced with venom. “I had a plan for us, and you fucked it all up. When I made it to the top, you could’ve been there with me.” He sneers. “That’s right, I found out about your little plan to run. Even before I offered you to Dominic. Thought this life wasn’t good enough for you?”

He scoffs. “Well, now you’ve lost that chance. Hopefully, Dominic will take you for my debt, and you can be a slave for the rest of your life.” He steps back, laughing cruelly. “The least you could do is leave my mother’s house the way it is. She doesn’t need to be bothered with my wrongdoings,” I tell him, hoping she never finds out about this. I don’t want her or Levi hurt because of me.

“You don’t know, do you? How embarrassing.” He smirks. “Your mom told Lily everything she knew about your life. And guess what? They became partners. They found me and told me where you were. Lily wanted your mom’s real estate and wanted you gone, so she paid your mom an even bigger cut for the houses. Then, the night before the party, your mom met up with me to tell me you’d be there. And she paid me even more to take you away.”

He’s lying. He has to be. My mother and I don’t see eye to eye, but would she really sell me out? I can’t believe this. “How do you think Jo knew exactly where to be so he’d be the closest Uber driver to you? How do you think I got your phone number? And how do you think I knew when to make my move?” His eyes darken. “Because she called me. Lily wouldn’t go through with the deal unless you were out of the picture.” There’s only one reason Lily wanted me gone. And that reason is a six-foot, tatted monster of a man.